1. Name

2. Location

The monastery is located 5 km north of rNga ba Township, the seat of rNga ba
county. There is a motorable road leading to the monastery.

3. History

The first in the succession of the sNang zhig masters is said to be Do
’phags chen po, also known as Yon tan rgyal mtshan (b.1168).55 Although the latter was responsible for spreading Bon in the area
and opened several hermitages in rNga khog, the real founder of the
monastery was Nyi ma ’dzin, the eldest son of Do ’phags chen po. The first
building of the establishment was Nyi ma ’dzin’s own residence (bla brang)
built in 1108 and known as rGyal bstan phun tshogs gling.

The descendants of the three brothers were collectively known as the “three
lineages of sNang zhig” (sNang zhig khag gsum). The twenty-fourth descendant
of the eldest brother, sNang zhig Tshul khrims dbang mchog, took monastic
vows. He then divided the establishment of sNang zhig rGyal bstan phun
tshogs gling into two settlements: one for lay tantric practitioners and the
other for monks.

The monastery was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and its
reconstruction was undertaken in 1980 by rGya ’obs bsTan ’dzin dbang rgyal
and Slob zur Tshul khrims bstan ’dzin.

4. Hierarchical system

The sNang zhig family is the “owner of the monastery” (dgon bdag) and the
present head of the monastery is sNang zhig bsKal bzang blo gros rgya mtsho
(b.1983). The monastery is therefore headed by an hereditary line.

rgyal tshab

one khri pa, replaced every year

one dpon sbob, replaced every three year

two dpe khrid, (teachers), replaced every two years

three dge skos, replaced every year

two dbu mdzad, replaced every six years (after three years the younger
dbu mdzad (dbu mdzad chung ba) replaces the dbu mdzad che ba, the elder
dbu mdzad)

two mchod g-yog, replaced every two years (after one year the mchod
g-yog chung ba, the younger mchod g-yog, replaces the mchod g-yog che ba,
the elder mchod g-yog)

seven lha gnyer, replaced each year; one gnyer chen, replaced each
year

For the above subjects the students use the bsDus grwa by mKhan chen Nyi ma
bstan ’dzin; the works on the Khams chen by dPal chen; the five ’Phrul sgron
by mNyam med Shes rab rgyal mtshan and commentaries on the Gab pa, mDzod and
Sa lam written by scholars from gYas ru dBen sa kha Monastery.

The monk students have classes and debate every day except during retreats;
the texts they study during retreats include texts that deal with meditation
systems of A khrid, sNyan brgyud and rDzogs chen.

Monks of the college of ritual practice (sgrub gwra) must complete the three
year retreat (lo gsum) following the A khrid tradition of meditation.

8 / 9. Rituals

1st month: commemoration of sNyam med Shes rab rgyal mtshan from the
4th to the 6th day

2nd month: commemoration of Nang chen Kun bzang bstan pa’i rgyal
mtshan from the 1st to the 5th day and that of rGya ’obs bsTan pa rab
rgyas from the 7th to the 13th day

3rd month: the ritual based on the Yi dam kun ’dus from the 8th day
for three days and the ritual cycle of Ma rgyud from the 11th for four
days

4th month: the recitation of the mantra Ma tri on the 14th day

5th month: the ceremony of the lighting of 10,000 butter lamps as
offering to rNam rgyal, an aspect of gShen rab Mi bo, for ten days from
the 6th day

6th month: the ritual cycle of Phur pa from the 3rd day for seven
days; the observance of summer-fast (dbyar gnas) for seven days from the
15th day; the ceremony of Dus khrims for seven days from the 24th
day

11th month: commemoration of sKyabs mgon Zla ba rgyal mtshan on the
7th and 8th days

12th month: the ritual of the gShen rab sgrub mchod for three days
from the 14th day and the dgu gtor rite for four days from the 26th
day

10. Books held in the monastery

Printed editions: five copies of the Bonpo Kanjur and six copies of the
Bonpo Katen, and more than 2000 printing blocks.

11. Income and expenses

The monastery depends on offerings from the faithful and also owns a hotel
in the county town.

13. Local festivals

The mountain behind the monastery, rBang brtsan bse khrab can, is located
about 10 km north of the monastery. There is a la btsas at the top whose
renewal celebration, which is attended by both religious and lay
communities, takes place on the 11th day of the 4th month. In addition, the
members of the sNang zhig family traditionally propitiated the local deity
(yul lha) of Mount gNyan po g-yu rtse, located in southeast of Golok, 5368
meters high, but the custom was interrupted in the 1960s. Recently it was
revived by the present head of the sNang zhig family. There is also a
“sacred mountain” (gnas ri) called dGon lung, situated about 4 km northwest
of the monastery. It was sanctified by sNang zhig Nam mkha’ blo gros. Its
veneration by the local people takes place every Horse Year.

Notes

[55]
Per Kvaerne dated the year of his birth 1028, in “The Monastery of
sNang zhig of the Bon Religion in the rNga pa District of Amdo”
(Rivista degli Studi Orientali 63, 1990) and this is supported by the
works of Nam mkha’ tshul khrims (p.9.n. MS.) and Bya ’phur Nam mkha’
rgyal mtshan (p.32) mentioned above. However, dGe bshes bsTan ’dzin
phun tshogs and ’Jam dbyangs brtson ’grus give 1088, one Rab byung (60
years) later in their above-mentioned works. However, dGe bshes
bsTan ’dzin phun tshogs and Drung ming ’Jam dbyangs brtson-’grus give
1088, one rab byung (60 years later) in their above-mentioned works.
They also provide a different list of the masters from that given by
Per Kvaerne (1990) whose work is based on sNang zhig do ’phags chen
po’i sku phreng gsol ’debs byin rlabs myur gzigs ma by Shes rab blo
ldan (d.1999).